To our community:
Over the past year, numerous traumatic events have occurred at the Students’ Co-operative. The ambiguity created by our lack of communication during these crises led to feelings of distress and engendered an atmosphere of distrust. When it mattered most, we did not do the work we needed to do to maintain trust and ensure that community member concerns were being heard. We did not reassure those in the community of the steps being taken, and we did not fulfill the need for timely and transparent communications. Many are understandably confused and uncertain about what the future may hold, what will be done to ensure that these events will not happen again, and who, if anyone, is acting to reconcile and redress these concerns.
Our first priority is the student community, specifically those living on the 1700 block of University Ave–to whom we apologize. We apologize not only for the impact this has had on you but also for the heavy burden many community members now carry. And we apologize to the broader community for our lack of transparency throughout this process and for our silence in the public forum.
We promise to be better, more communicative neighbors and are dedicated to remaining in the community, and at 1721 University Ave. We are confident that with new board leadership, the structural changes that we are implementing, and our unyielding commitment to community safety and restorative practices, that we can work in collaboration to forge a path of healing, begin to rebuild the trust that has been broken, and create a safer neighborhood together.
We will provide greater transparency by posting progress updates on our website, as well as updates directly to our neighbors. When we begin recruitment for new members, we will prioritize University of Minnesota students who are committed to the values and principles of cooperation. Additionally, we are amending the Co-op’s bylaws to grant alumni a continued role in the Co-op Board, and to give the Board more accountability going forward.
We thank you for your patience and support as we continue to rebuild and we hope you will join us in this next chapter. We look forward to continuing these conversations, this work, and our 80+ year legacy of cooperation at 1721 University Ave. Please continue to check our website studentscoop.org for updates, a timeline, and steps we have already taken. You can also reach out with any questions by emailing us at studentscoopinc@gmail.com.
The Students’ Cooperative Board